No. 5 Oklahoma (2-0) came to Ohio Stadium a seven-point underdog in the eyes of the wise guys.
The wise guys proved to be not so wise. The Sooners played like a team with something to prove, and did just that in completely dominating No. 2 Ohio State (1-1) for a 31-16 win that wasn’t really as close as the final score.
The Sooners dominated play throughout the first half everywhere but on the scoreboard. OU moved the ball seemingly at will against the OSU defense, but managed just three points on the scoreboard due to costly errors. Two lost fumbles, dropped passes and a missed field goal limited their point production, but they put up 222 yards of total offense, which included 158 yards by quarterback Baker Mayfield on 11-18 passing.
The Buckeyes, meanwhile, struggled mightily on offense. They managed just 92 total yards in the first half and a paltry 25 yards passing. Quarterback J.T. Barrett completed just five of 11 attempts, but OSU was still in the game thanks to Oklahoma’s mistakes.
The Buckeyes got a big play to open the second half when Parris Campbell returned the kickoff 65 yards to put the OSU offense in business at the Oklahoma 44-yard line. It took OSU seven plays to get into the end zone with J.K. Dobbins covering the last two yards to put OSU up 10-3.
It looked like the Buckeyes had seized the momentum, but that was a fleeting notion. The Sooners answered OSU’s score with a five-play, 67-yard drive that took only 1:40 of the clock and ended when Mayfield hit receiver Dimitri Flowers with a 37-yard touchdown pass to tie the game at 10-10.
OSU answered with a field goal on their ensuing possession. The drive was keyed by a 31-yard pass completion from Barrett to wide receiver Austin Mack that carried to the 7-yard line. Three plays later the Buckeyes were still at the 6-yard line and had to settle for a field goal. The 13-10 lead would be their last of the game as the Sooners completely dominated the rest of the way.
Oklahoma added a touchdown in the third quarter and two more in the fourth to take a 31-10 lead. They moved the ball seemingly at will both on the ground and behind Mayfield’s passing.
The OSU offense, meanwhile, could only be described as floundering, particularly in the passing game where they could find no consistency whatsoever.
OSU added a fourth-quarter field goal to cut the lead to 31-16 with 6:33 remaining in the game, but it was a case of too little too late.